Loyal
by Moonmessi
Summary: Merida meets a peasant girl, and they become good friends. Along the way, Merida explores her parents past, and finds out some things she never knew. She learns to be more diplomatic, but will she prepared to face what her final role will be? Is she ready to be Queen of Dunbroch? I own nothing but my OC's!


**Scot talk:**

**Ah – I**

**Me – My or My**

**Aye – Yes**

**Ye – You**

**Tae – To**

**Cannae – Can't**

**Didnae – didn't**

**Nae- No**

**Guid – Good**

_Castle DunBroch, the Highlands, Scotland_

Maudie hurried down one of Castle DunBroch's many stony halls. She picked up a handful of her skirts, and rushed up the stairs. She wasn't going to have to run around after those wee devils today, oh no! In fact, today, she was going to enjoy herself thoroughly. All she had to do was wake up the Princess, and she was done with her work. Secretly, she was planning to write Valan* a letter. She had met Valan three months ago, when the four clans had a gathering, and well, the _bear …incident_ had happened. She shook her head: Right now was _not _the time to remember that unpleasant memory.

Finally she reached Merida's chamber. Slowly, she opened the door, and came inside.

In the middle of the dimly lit room was a wooden bed, where a hulking mass of blankets was spread out. Peeking out from under this lumpy load were a few fiery locks of hair, and a pair of feet sticking out from the other side. Maudie closed the door, and approached the bed. "Good morning! It's a lovely day outside, ain't that so Princess? Princess?"

Merida stirred slightly, and groaned in a very un-ladylike way.

Maudie started pulling the covers off, revealing Merida's face. "Come now, get up! Me lady queen expects ye."

Merida groaned once more and lazily opened one blue eye. "Auch, Maudie! It' s tae early! Jus' a few more minutes? Please?"

" Ye do what ye want princess, but Ah'm warnin' ye, the queen will wake ye if Ah cannae do it." Maudie said, and went to the window to push aside the heavy curtain.

"Oh, alrigh', Ah'm getting' up!" Merida flung back the cover, and swung her legs out of her bed. "Wait! Maudie, is taeday Saturday?"

"Yes yer highne-"

"GONTRUM NIDDLES*!" Yelled Merida, and dashed out of the room.

"Help ma boab…" Muttered Maudie, and hurried out of the room, glad to be done with that problem.

_Fergus watched as Merida fired an arrow at a target. Suddenly, the target split into two pieces, and fell apart. Merida fired a second arrow, and a huge fish jumped up and ate it! And the fish stayed there, in the air, as if suspended by magic. The triplets were on the giant fish's back, Fergus saw, with Hamish in the middle. They jumped off the fish, and stood next to their sister, brandishing small swords. Fergus glanced at the fish, only to notice it had grown bear paws, and bright yellow wings! Fergus drew his sword, and the fight began. He thrust his sword at the monstrous fish, but the fish dodged his attack, and leapt (or perhaps flew) out of harms way. Then Fergus ran at the fish and swung his sword at the fish's wings, trying to damage them, or cut them off. The fish didn't move, but giggled instead and spat water all over him…_

Fergus woke up spluttering. He was soaked! His eyes flew open, and met three identical mischievous faces…"BOYS!"

The triplets quickly jumped off his bed and scuttled out of the room. Fergus sat up, and shook his head (spraying water all over the room in the process).

Elinor was sitting near the window with a book in her lap, chuckling.

"Guid mornin' dear!" she laughed.

Fergus swiveled around, and grinned sheepishly at his wife.

" Elinor! Ye didnae stop 'em, those wee devils." He accused her mockingly.

" Ah couldnae, I didnae even 'ear 'em, " Elinor proteseted.

" Really?" Fergus got out of bed and approached her.

"Honestly, Fergus! Do ye think Ah'd let 'em do tha'?

He grabbed her, and kissed her passionately. Slowly they pulled apart. "Ye would." Fergus whispered. He picked her up and easily slung her over his shoulder. "An' ye did, so ye'll pay for it!"

"Put me down Fergus! Fergus! Ye're getting me soaking wet!" Elinor squealed. "Put me down ye beast!" She screeched, as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp. Fergus just laughed in return. He thoroughly enjoyed hearing her little pleas. After about five minutes of captivity Elinor was finally on her feet.

"Hmph!" she huffed. "Now go get dressed! Ye're leaving a trail of water on the floor."

"Ye ain't so dry yerself."

"Go!"

Defeated, Fergus trudged to the closet, and then to the bathroom.

Elinor sighed. She was wet, disheveled; her hair was a mess… yet she was so happy. These past three months had been so much easier for her. Being Queen was not a piece of cake, but if you add being a mother of four children, well, that took _a lot _of effort. Sometimes she felt it was all too much. But ever since she and Merida had their little …_adventure_,her life became much, _much_ less stressful. Of course Fergus had always helped, and the triplets didn't cause too much trouble these past three months, but deep down, Elinor knew that the cause of this sudden change was Merida. All of those awful fights had stopped, and instead, they now shared a powerful understanding with each other, one that only they knew about. True, they didn't always agree, but now, unlike before, they always found a solution that suited both of them. Elinor enjoyed Merida's company, and they did many things together, things that they both found interesting, fun, and useful. But that wasn't the only way Merida changed. After the bear incident, she started paying attention at lessons, and instead of thinking of it as a useless waste of time, she really tried to understand, see, and learn. Surprisingly, Elinor found out, that when Merida really put in the effort, she was really quite good at it. She was a natural. Her young mind easily remembered all the names of the cities, countries, and clans that she needed to remember. She grasped the concept of legends easily. She learned how to project her voice, _without _having toyell, and how to over annunciate so she could be understood in a large hall. She still needed to work on playing the lyre, but thatwas the _least _needed duty for a queen. Most importantly, Merida started to think in a more diplomatic way, not only during lessons, but in her daily life too. So Elinor decided to give Merida some actual diplomatic work to do. In no time, Merida was writing letters to other clans, making important decisions, finding solutions to brawls. Her kingdom now respected her as a leader. Slowly, but surely, Merida was starting to rule the kingdom alongside her parents. Elinor knew Merida would make a dedicated, wise, and respected ruler. This was what truly reassured Elinor, for now she knew, that the kingdom would be in good hands, and that her daughter would have a job that she not only had to do, but also enjoyed. Her little Merida was growing up.

"Mum! It's Saturday! Mum, Mum, Mum, Mum, we're going, right?! We'regoingouttotheforesttogethertoday!" Merida yelled, as she bounded into Elinor's room.

_Well, _thought Elinor,_ she still is a young feisty lass, that Merida. _"What was that dear?"

Merida took a deep breath. "Ye promised me Ah can take ye, Da', and the triplets out to the forest today! Ah have so many things to show ye all!" Suddenly her face morphed into a worried expression. "Ye didnae forget, did ye? We are going right?"

"Of course we are Merida, how could Ah 'ave forgotten? Ye've been singin' 'bout it all week!"

"Oh yipeeee! When are we going? Where's Da'? An' the triplets? I cannae wait! Come on Mum! Wait, why are ye all wet?"

**So how did you like it? Feel free to give ****_constructive _****feedback; don't explode on me please! Anyway, I have to explain some things in the story so here it goes: **

**1) Valan: This was the name I chose for the "mysterious man" who was courting Maudie at the end of the film. Remember, he was the guy who got mistaken for Wee Dingwall, when Wee was being introduced. If you don't know what I mean, it's O.K., it really has no meaning to the story.**

**2) GONTRUM NIDDLES: Now, you think I just put this piece of gibberish into my story…WRONG! It's a Scottish expression of joy and excitement, according to the Internet anyway. SO IT'S ****_NOT _****GIBBERISH! HA! But then again they ****_do_**** post a bunch of gibberish on the Internet… but whatever, I thought it sounded cool…**

**3) Fergus' dream: Don't ask me why he had a giant fish-bear with wings in his dream; It's a dream, and dreams can be weird! And they don't always have to have a secret meaning! **

**So that's the first chapter of '****_Loyal _****Part I: Arrows of Fate' **

**I love reviews! Post your thoughts down here! **

**Still here? I said go write a review! NOW! **


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